Brian Page takes a look at two individual and imaginative new home developments close to York city centre.

YORK now has a good number of housing developments in progress in and around the city – with a host of smart new homes springing up to cater for what seems to be an insatiable demand for property.

We will be looking at some of the larger developments here in upcoming issues but this week we are focusing on a pair of independent, small but beautifully formed projects providing good value for money.

As Oliver Stephenson, of marketing agents Stephensons, puts it: “You would have to go a very long way to find houses of this size and scope – running to some 1,400 sq ft - for this kind of money.”

The two properties in question, in Bakery Yard, in the Hull Road area, are being offered at £275,000.

And when you look at what you are getting for that price you will see what Oliver means… The layout provides a superb open space, open plan, kitchen/dining/sitting room, measuring 25ft by almost 22ft. This room is very much a ‘heart of the house’ spot with a run of bi-folding doors opening onto the rear gardens – great for family parties and entertaining.

The ground floor also offers a separate cosy (and by cosy we don’t mean small) family room/snug and a cloakroom and utility room.

Upstairs the master bedroom has an en-suite and there are three further bedrooms and a house bathroom.

Externally, a private driveway leads to block paved parking for two cars, each house will have rear patios with gardens laid lawn and timber store.

Oliver adds: These are very contemporary, different houses, with big open plan living spaces and good bedrooms and nice gardens.”

In both instances an awful lot of house, for the money with completion date, for the first plot at least, of late November.

Interested parties should contact Stephensons on 01904 625533.

Meanwhile, our eye was caught by another, equally good value for money, pair of properties, this time in Teasedale Mews, off Burton Stone Lane, sitting saintly opposite St Luke The Evangelical Church. (In a nice touch the street has only just been named – after the lady who sold the land to the builders).

There are nice design touches here with individual features including sliding sash windows, stone sills and heads and brick arches to window heads.

Again, these are homes designed for modern living, with an open plan living/dining kitchen area with a breakfast bar and the kitchen area offering integrated appliances including cooker, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and freezer. Off the inner hallway there is a useful ground floor cloakroom.

On the first floor there are two good-sized double bedrooms and a well appointed house bathroom. The houses have off-street parking and walled gardens with decking and shaled areas.

Sadly, one of the two has been snapped up but if you want to take a look at the remaining home – priced at a very reasonable £240,000 – get in touch with W H Brown on 01904 621138. There will be an open viewing on this property at the weekend – from 12.30pm to 1pm on Saturday.